Missing models on 3D export

[amelvin]

I’ve added various step models to footprints, some i’ve designed myself some i’ve taken from the stock 3D models. However, on exporting the board as a Step file, it is ‘missing several models’ despite them being allocated. Shown below are 3 models in the kicad 3D viewer.

In footprint properties:

my3DLib:heatsink.STEP

my3DLib:pxc_1712805_03_MKDS-3-4-5-08_3D.stp

Other3Dlib:sideswitch.step

However when I export them I get this

I’ve copied the footprint, and redefined them but I have no idea why some of these ones are failing and others are not.

Any help is appreciated.

Andrew

[eelik]

Give full version information with Help->About->Copy Version Info.

[amelvin]

sorry i meant to do that. I’ll update to 5.1.5 as well

Application: kicad
Version: (5.1.0-0), release build
Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.0.4
libcurl/7.54.0 LibreSSL/2.6.5 zlib/1.2.11 nghttp2/1.24.1
Platform: Mac OS X (Darwin 18.7.0 x86_64), 64 bit, Little endian, wxMac
Build Info:
wxWidgets: 3.0.4 (UTF-8,STL containers,compatible with 2.8)
Boost: 1.68.0
OpenCASCADE Community Edition: 6.9.1
Curl: 7.54.0
Compiler: Clang 9.0.0 with C++ ABI 1002

Build settings:
USE_WX_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT=ON
USE_WX_OVERLAY=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_PYTHON3=OFF
KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON_PHOENIX=OFF
KICAD_SCRIPTING_ACTION_MENU=ON
BUILD_GITHUB_PLUGIN=ON
KICAD_USE_OCE=ON
KICAD_USE_OCC=OFF
KICAD_SPICE=ON

[eelik]

5.1.5 is the latest, can you try with that?

If you need to get the 3D model by any means necessary you can try it with FreeCAD when the StepUp workbench is installed. It can load the board file.

I would ask if it’s possible to share the whole project, but it wouldn’t help because it’s not portable (3D files aren’t included).

[amelvin]

I can import them into Fusion360 and place them manually, but is time consuming and if the board changes I have to do it all over.

I’m more curious that there appears to be a bug, or an inconsistency that i’ve not identified between some of the step files and not others.

• I created an entirely new footprint, added the Step files - does not work
• I imported the Step into fusion360, exported it and attached that to the footprint - did not work.

At this stage im not sure what else I can try.

[eelik]

FreeCAD+StepUp can load the board + 3D models. Because it’s independent from KiCad (and its step export) it may work even when KiCad export doesn’t. If it succeeds there’s no need to load and place the models manually.

[eelik]

To be explicit and clear: FreeCAD+StepUp can open the original .kicad_pcb file. Opening the step file exported by KiCad with any 3D CAD program isn’t of course useful because the step file doesn’t have the missing 3D models. But FreeCAD+StepUp automatically loads each 3D model which is mentioned in the board file. If there’s a bug in the KiCad export function, FreeCAD+StepUp may still work correctly (and that has actually happened to me).

[amelvin]

Thank you I shall give it a go. Using fusion360 is not too much of a big deal as i can copy from one file to another and it keeps the positions so it only takes a few seconds!

[davidsrsb]

I wonder if the space in the file path in “Application Support” is causing this?

[eelik]

I thought of that, but it doesn’t explain the other two missing models.